History FanFic / DrowningInYourDepths

* ColdOpen: The first scene of the story opens on Bill sinking to the bottom of the Mediterranean InMediasRes and ends on a cliffhangar as Bill sinks to his death. While this event sets in motion the rest of the story, the actual plot doesn't begin until the next chapter with the introduction of Dipper.

* BlackAndGreyMorality: Dipper, Bill, and Gideon form a sliding scale of morality from light grey to black: Dipper is kind and generally against killing but limited in his empathy for humans, self-describing to Robbie as "indifferent" to their lives (though he seems to develop out of this the more he begins to sympathize with the humans around him); Bill is a mentally unstable pirate who [[SlowlySlippingIntoEvil slipped into nonchalant murder and thievery]], and, despite his beginning to move away from that moral cliff edge, still has no qualms about killing the people he feels he has to for survival; and Gideon is a megalomaniac who can control people like puppets and seeks to be the most powerful pirate captain "in all worlds," cheerfully slaughtering any and all in the way of his attaining power. The more we learn about Bill and his reasons, the more sympathetic he becomes, being characterized more like a particularly paranoid and jaded Robin Hood--while Gideon, kept "offscreen" as it were, is only heard about from scychophantic followers who themselves seek to murder and destroy: the only active presence Gideon's legion has had so far (besides mutinying against Bill) is breaking the no-arms treaty of the pirate council and attempting to kill all of the communities' leaders.

* AmbiguouslyHuman: Dipper notices during the Blind Eye attack that Bill's "Beast" exuded his own magical "tendrils," which is something impossible for humans--implying that Bill's dangerous snap personality is a manifestation of a part of himself that is other than human.

** The pirates in the story act more like a hybrid of pirates and the mafia: they've formed a paralegal governmental structure applying to all the captains under their allegiance and have power to the point where even the majority of those who aren't under their control do not ''dare'' to interfere with their policies; they have their own council which makes enforced decisions; and they've created their own laws and do not abide by those of the official local governments. They are criminals, but they act like a confederacy of organized crime families under the leadership of their captains (the bosses). Notably, the "bad" pirates are the ones that rebel against even ''pirate'' laws. In RealLife, pirates ''did'' have their codes and laws, but they were only agreed upon between members of a single crew or temporary fleet as each man's conditions of service (most involving an equality of rations and loot provided to the crew and no stealing from fellow crewmen). However, the story implies a major disruption involving the pirates as a whole changed the course of events during the beginning of the Golden Age and led to a conspicuously unnamed pirate leading the creation of the council, thereafter forming more a widely applicable code amongst the lot of them--Neviah, current Praesul of the Council, even refers to their brand of piracy as "''Organized'' piracy."

** What we hear of Gideon since he mutinied against Bill completely subverts this: he's invaded and looted towns, acquired ships, attacked other pirates, and seeks to be seen as "the most fearless and powerful captain to sail the seas of this world... of all worlds.”

** The pirates in the story act more like a hybrid of pirates and the mafia: they've formed a paralegal governmental structure applying to all the captains under their allegiance and have enough power where even the majority of those who aren't do not ''dare'' to interfere with their policies; they have their own council which makes enforced decisions; and they've created their own laws and do not abide by those of the official local governments. They are criminals, but they act like a confederacy of organized crime families under the leadership of their captains (the bosses). Notably, the "bad" pirates are the ones that rebel against even ''pirate'' laws. In RealLife, pirates ''did'' have their codes and laws, but they were only agreed upon between members of a single crew or temporary fleet as each man's conditions of service (most involving an equality of rations and loot provided to the crew and no stealing from fellow crewmen). However, the story implies a major disruption involving the pirates as a whole changed the course of events during the beginning of the Golden Age and led to a conspicuously unnamed pirate leading the creation of the council, thereafter forming more a widely applicable code amongst the lot of them--Neviah, current Praesul of the Council, even refers to their brand of piracy as "''Organized'' piracy."

* The pirates in the story act more like a hybrid of pirates and the mafia: they've formed a paralegal governmental structure applying to all the captains under their allegiance and have enough power where even the majority of those who aren't do not ''dare'' to interfere with their policies; they have their own council which makes enforced decisions; and they've created their own laws and do not abide by those of the official local governments. They are criminals, but they act like a confederacy of organized crime families under the leadership of their captains (the bosses). Notably, the "bad" pirates are the ones that rebel against even ''pirate'' laws. In RealLife, pirates ''did'' have their codes and laws, but they were only agreed upon between members of a single crew or temporary fleet as each man's conditions of service (most involving an equality of rations and loot provided to the crew and no stealing from fellow crewmen). However, the story implies a major disruption involving the pirates as a whole changed the course of events during the beginning of the Golden Age and led to a conspicuously unnamed pirate leading the creation of the council, thereafter forming more a widely applicable code amongst the lot of them--Neviah, current Praesul of the Council, even refers to their brand of piracy as "''Organized'' piracy."

* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: Played with. Characters talk quite a lot about the pirating Bill has committed prior to the story, but due to the focus on hunting Gideon, none of that has so far gone on during the story proper. The closest thing to classic pirating was the Blind Eye Society boarding ''Bill's'' ship without permission and Bill's inner demon brutally murdering one of them during the ensuing conflict, but given that Bill was the one whose ship was invaded (by people who ''weren't'' pirates, no less), it doesn't really count. The characterization of Bill in the first chapter sounds far more like a pirate than the softer character we see him be around Dipper and Rezin.

* NoNameGiven: The exposition during the Pirate Council is entirely about a specific and controversial pirate who disappeared some twenty years ago and once predicted that VaguenessIsComing in a book he left behind. Everyone seems to know who this is, but no one ever gives his name (nor do they give a reason why they ''aren't'' saying his name), making the conversation about him both extremely unnatural-sounding and extremely difficult to follow--even the details people shout out about him are contradictory, with some insisting he's a hero who died to warn others and others insisting he turned into a monster (''[[WasOnceAMan quite literally]]'').
** [[spoiler:It is, however, heavily implied that this pirate may be Bill's mysterious father. Grunkle Ford, who definitely has some connection to "Cipher" (and this can't be Bill Cipher because the dates don't line up), has his name hidden in the capital letters of the first passage of the prophecy that No-Name left behind, indicating part or all of the message and prophecy/curse is for him--and the entire prophecy and message is written within a book identical to Ford's journals save a different embossed golden symbol on the front. Ford has also spent the entirety of the story speaking of "Cipher" with present-tenses and dread and convinced that something bad will happen to Dipper now that he's eighteen, the age specified in the conspicuously unnamed pirate's prophecy. Ford also refers to Cipher as a demon, which, if he is Bill's father, would explain quite a lot about Bill's more ambiguously human traits; there was some ''heavy'' foreshadowing in Chapter 10 about the ways humans might turn themselves into demonic creatures. Bill also heavily implies the treachery his father was accused of was piracy, and mentions that "a prophecy" was depicted in the stained glass window of the ''Mens Scapus''' captains quarters (and there's only ever been one prophecy mentioned in the story so far). All of this makes very clear connections: Bill's father knew of the "prophecy" that keeps reappearing in the story and is known to be connected piracy and likely to demons, Ford definitely saw at least one human become a demon and currently knows a "Cipher" who is a demon (and isn't Bill), and No Name was a pirate who possibly became a monster who wrote a prophecy directed at Ford, a prophecy that, again, Bill's dad artistically depicted in stained glass on the ''Mens Scapus.'']]

** [[spoiler:It is, however, heavily implied that this pirate may be Bill's mysterious father. Grunkle Ford, who definitely has some connection to "Cipher" (and this can't be Bill Cipher because the dates don't line up), has his name hidden in the capital letters of the first passage of the prophecy that No-Name left behind, indicating part or all of the message and prophecy/curse is for him--and the entire prophecy and message is written within a book identical to Ford's journals save a different embossed golden symbol on the front. Ford has also spent the entirety of the story speaking of "Cipher" with present-tenses and dread and convinced that something bad will happen to Dipper now that he's eighteen, the age specified in the conspicuously unnamed pirate's prophecy. Ford also refers to Cipher as a demon, which, if he is Bill's father, would explain quite a lot about Bill's more ambiguously human traits; there was some ''heavy'' foreshadowing in Chapter 10 about the ways humans might turn themselves into demonic creatures. Bill also heavily implies the treachery his father was accused of was piracy, and mentions that "a prophecy" was depicted in the stained glass window of the ''Mens Scapus''' captains quarters (and there's only ever been one prophecy mentioned in the story so far).]] All of this makes very clear connections: Bill's father knew of the "prophecy" that keeps reappearing in the story and is known to be connected piracy and likely to demons, Ford definitely saw at least one human become a demon and currently knows a "Cipher" who is a demon (and isn't Bill), and No Name was a pirate who possibly became a monster who wrote a prophecy directed at Ford, a prophecy that, again, Bill's dad artistically depicted in stained glass on the ''Mens Scapus.'']]

* NoNameGiven: The exposition during the Pirate Council is entirely about a specific and controversial pirate who disappeared some twenty years ago and once predicted that VaguenessIsComing in a book he left behind. Everyone seems to know who this is, but no one ever gives his name (nor do they give a reason why they ''aren't'' saying his name), making the conversation about him both extremely unnatural-sounding and extremely difficult to follow--even the details people shout out about him are contradictory, with some insisting he's a hero who died to warn others and others insisting he was a monster.
** [[spoiler:Currently implications point a tentative finger at Bill's mysterious father. Grunkle Ford, who definitely has some connection to "Cipher" (and this can't be Bill Cipher because the dates don't line up), has his name hidden in the capital letters of the first passage of the prophecy that No-Name left behind, indicating part or all of the message and prophecy/curse is for him--and the entire prophecy and message is written within a book identical to Ford's journals save a different embossed golden symbol on the front. Ford has also spent the entirety of the story speaking of "Cipher" with present-tenses and dread and convinced that something bad will happen to Dipper now that he's eighteen, the age specified in the conspicuously unnamed pirate's prophecy. Ford also refers to Cipher as a demon, which, if he is Bill's father, would explain quite a lot about Bill's more ambiguously human traits; there was some ''heavy'' foreshadowing in Chapter 10 about the ways humans might turn themselves into demonic creatures. Bill also heavily implies the treachery his father was accused of was piracy.]]

** [[spoiler:Currently implications point a tentative finger at Bill's mysterious father. Grunkle Ford, who definitely has some connection to "Cipher" (and this can't be Bill Cipher because the dates don't line up), has his name hidden in the capital letters of the first passage of the prophecy that No-Name left behind, indicating part or all of the message and prophecy/curse is for him--and the entire prophecy and message is written within a book identical to Ford's journals save a different embossed golden symbol on the front. Ford has also spent the entirety of the story speaking of "Cipher" with dread and convinced that something bad will happen to Dipper now that he's eighteen, the age specified in the conspicuously unnamed pirate's prophecy. Ford also refers to Cipher as a demon, which, if he is Bill's father, would explain quite a lot about Bill's more ambiguously human traits; there was some ''heavy'' foreshadowing in Chapter 10 about the ways humans might turn themselves into demonic creatures. Bill also heavily implies the treachery his father was accused of was piracy.]]

** [[spoiler:Currently implications point a tentative finger at Bill's mysterious father. Grunkle Ford, who definitely has some connection to "Cipher" (and this can't be Bill Cipher because the dates don't line up), has his name hidden in the capital letters of the first passage of the prophecy No Name left behind, indicating part or all of the message and prophecy/curse is for him--and the entire prophecy and message is written within a book identical to Ford's journals save a different embossed golden symbol on the front. Ford has also spent the entirety of the story speaking of "Cipher" with dread and convinced that something bad will happen to Dipper now that he's eighteen, the age specified in the conspicuously unnamed pirate's prophecy. Ford also refers to Cipher as a demon, which, if he is Bill's father, would explain quite a lot about Bill's more ambiguously human traits; there was some ''heavy'' foreshadowing in Chapter 10 about the ways humans might turn themselves into demonic creatures. Bill also heavily implies the treachery his father was accused of was piracy.]]

* NoNameGiven: The exposition during the Pirate Council is entirely about a specific and controversial pirate who disappeared some twenty years ago and once predicted TheVaguenessIsComing in a book he left behind. Everyone seems to know who this is, but no one ever gives his name (nor do they give a reason why they ''aren't'' saying his name), making the conversation about him both extremely unnatural-sounding and extremely difficult to follow--even the details people shout out about him are contradictory, with some insisting he's a hero who died to warn others and others insisting he was a monster.

* NoNameGiven: The exposition during the Pirate Council is entirely about a specific and controversial pirate (hereafter referred to as "The Conspicuously Unnamed Pirate") who disappeared some twenty years ago and once predicted TheVaguenessIsComing in a book he left behind. Everyone seems to know who this is, but no one ever gives his name (nor do they give a reason why they ''aren't'' saying his name), making the conversation about him both extremely unnatural-sounding and extremely difficult to follow--even the details people shout out about him are contradictory, with some insisting he's a hero who died to warn others and others insisting he was a monster.
** [[spoiler:Currently implications point a tentative finger at Bill's mysterious father. Grunkle Ford, who definitely has some connection to "Cipher" (and this can't be Bill Cipher because the dates don't line up), has his name hidden in the capital letters of the first passage of the prophecy No Name left behind, indicating part or all of the message and prophecy/curse is for him--and the entire prophecy and message is written within a book identical to Ford's journals save a different embossed golden symbol on the front. Ford has also spent the entirety of the story speaking of "Cipher" with dread and convinced that something bad will happen to Dipper now that he's eighteen, the age specified in The Conspicuously Unnamed Pirate's prophecy. Ford also refers to Cipher as a demon, which, if he is Bill's father, would explain quite a lot about Bill's more ambiguously human traits; there was some ''heavy'' foreshadowing in Chapter 10 about the ways humans might turn themselves into demonic creatures. Bill also heavily implies the treachery his father was accused of was piracy.]]

* InformedAttribute: Dipper and Bill regularly discuss how closed-minded humanity in general is and how hostile they may be to discovering various facets of Dipper's identity, particularly regarding sexuality and gender--and while this was generally true during this particular time in history (and even true today in many parts of the world), we don't really see a general, culture-wide discomfort with Dipper as a person; everyone who finds out is generally quite respectful of Dipper's gender identity (even Robbie, who [[spoiler:was quite predatory, still respected Dipper's gender identity)]]. After over a dozen chapters, at least four visits to port, and the introduction of a fairly substantial cast of side-characters, the most we see of this close-mindedness is the misogyny displayed by two members of the Blind Eye Society, and two people can hardly be argued to speak for entire cultures or entire species.

** Characters like Rezin make mention of the fact that Dipper is still "a child" and thus shouldn't partake in alcoholic beverages with them. However, until the creation of modern health practices and water cleaning processes, fresh water was potentially dangerous and infamously prone to contamination, especially in cities where most of the behavioral standards (like drinking ages) were set, and water stored for weeks at sea often wasn't much better. Mixing the water with strong alcohols was the most common way of making it safe to drink. It's therefore very unlikely pirates would refuse Dipper a drink due to being only 17 during the Golden Age of Piracy, considering he likely would have been drinking alcohol throughout his stay on the ''Mens Scapus'' in order to avoid the parasites and pathogens in the barrels of fresh water. Unless, you know, [[AWizardDidIt he magicked it,]] but even then the others wouldn't have reacted as such, because alcohol would have been normal and necessary for survival on a ship for everyone else, regardless of age.

** Characters like Rezin make mention of the fact that Dipper is still "a child" and thus shouldn't partake in alcoholic beverages with them. However, until the creation of modern health practices and water cleaning processes, fresh water was potentially dangerous and infamously prone to contamination, especially in cities where most of the behavioral standards (like drinking ages) were set, and water stored for weeks at sea often wasn't much better. Mixing the water with strong alcohols was the most common way of making it safe to drink. The point being: it's very unlikely pirates would refuse Dipper a drink due to being only 17 during the Golden Age of Piracy, considering he likely would have been drinking alcohol throughout his stay on the ''Mens Scapus'' in order to avoid the parasites and pathogens in the barrels of fresh water. Unless, you know, [[AWizardDidIt he magicked it,]] but even then the others wouldn't have reacted as such, because alcohol would have been normal and necessary for survival on a ship for everyone else, regardless of age.

** The cocktail-like dress Dipper is given in Port L'Orient is made of a fabric of such a description that, given its sparkly and slinky nature, either [[AWizardDidIt required modern polyesters to be brought back by time travelers just to make it]] or is worth more than the entirety of the ''Mens Scapus'' itself. Or both. And its style doesn't exactly sound contemporary with the 17th and early 18th centuries either.

** The cocktail-like dress Dipper is given in Port L'Orient is of a style that would be utterly scandalous even for prostitutes of the period, and made of a fabric of such a description that, given its sparkly and slinky nature, either [[AWizardDidIt required modern polyesters to be brought back by time travelers just to make it]] or is worth more than the entirety of the ''Mens Scapus'' itself. Or both.

* AffectionateNickname: Bill has many for Dipper. Though he often uses Pine Tree (here a joke on Dipper's surname), he also uses Star Fish, [[{{Pun}} Cuddle]] Fish, and Angel Fish when he's feeling particularly affectionate or teasy.

* GaslampFantasy: The story basically takes place in the TheGoldenAgeOfPiracy, except magic and magical creatures are real, widely known about, and criminalized by most countries.

* TheGoldenAgeOfPiracy: The approximate time period of the story, but no specific dates are given.

* BlackAndGreyMorality: Dipper, Bill, and Gideon form a sliding scale of morality from light grey to black: Dipper is kind and generally against killing but limited in his empathy for humans, self-describing to Robbie as "indifferent" to their lives (though he seems to develop out of this the more he begins to identify with the humans around him); Bill is a mentally unstable pirate who [[SlowlySlippingIntoEvil slipped into nonchalant murder and thievery]], and, despite his beginning to move away from that moral cliff edge, still has no qualms about killing the people he feels he has to for survival; and Gideon is a megalomaniac who can control people like puppets and seeks to be the most powerful pirate captain "in all worlds," cheerfully slaughtering any and all in the way of his attaining power. The more we learn about Bill and his reasons, the more sympathetic he becomes, being characterized more like a particularly paranoid and jaded Robin Hood--while Gideon, kept "offscreen" as it were, is only heard about from scychophantic followers who themselves seek to murder and destroy: the only active presence Gideon's legion has had so far (besides mutinying against Bill) is breaking the no-arms treaty of the pirate council and attempting to kill all of the communities' leaders.

When his crew mutiny under the magically-empowered leadership of his treacherous first mate, fasten him to the mainmast and blow his ship to a watery doom, Bill believes he's finished. But in the depths of the sea, there is other life, and kinder creatures--one even willing to save a life like his, in exchange for an escape from the ImplicitPrison of an overly-restrictive home. Together, infamous pirate Captain William Cipher and siren and new First Mate Dipper Pines raise the ruined shipwreck, hunt for Bill's mutinous crew, and set sail for the secrets of their past and their path towards the future. Standing against them are a maniacal traitor, a well-meaning family, Bill's own possibly disturbed mind, and a conspicuously unnamed pirate of the past, who ties all these things together.

* RageBreakingPoint: Blind Ivan should ''not'' have slapped a "bitch." Hurting someone Bill considers his {{Protectorate}} guarantees his SoftSpokenSadist side will come out.